Patients and families
This section is for the people who help make regular dialysis days manageable. It brings together practical guidance for patients and families, with clear routes to the topics you may need before, during and between visits.
Support around each dialysis day
Regular outpatient haemodialysis affects more than one person in a household. Travel times, work handovers, school lifts and waiting arrangements often need planning around morning, afternoon or evening shifts. This part of our site is here to help patients and families understand the day-to-day side of attending a clinic in Bedfordview, without trying to replace guidance from the patient’s own renal team.
You will find general information about visiting, holidays, comfort during sessions and what to expect around routine attendance. If you are looking for treatment decisions, changes to dialysis plans or medical questions, those must always be discussed with the patient’s own doctor or renal unit. If there is an emergency, go to the nearest emergency unit.
How to choose the right page in this section
Some visitors come here because they are supporting a new patient. Others need help with practical arrangements after many sessions already. The pages in this section are grouped so you can go straight to the topic that fits your situation.
- Choose Visiting and holidays if you want general guidance on time away, guest routines or planning around family events.
- Choose Comfort during sessions if you want ideas for making session time easier, including clothing, entertainment and simple personal items to bring along.
- Choose Your first session in the guides section if the patient is starting at the clinic and you want a step-by-step overview of the first day.
- Choose What to bring if you need a practical checklist before leaving home.
- Choose Transport and parking if lift arrangements, drop-off timing or Bedfordview traffic are your main concern.
- Choose Questions to ask your renal team if you want help preparing for a discussion with the professionals who decide treatment.
If you are unsure where to begin, start with the first-session and transport pages, then come back to this section for the day-to-day family side of care.
What families usually help with
Family support often sits in the small details rather than big moments. A reliable routine can lower stress for the patient and for the people travelling with them. In practice this may mean packing early, allowing for East Rand traffic, checking that the patient has what they need for the session and planning collection times carefully. On some days load-shedding in surrounding areas can also affect departure routines at home, so leaving a little buffer helps.
- Arranging transport to and from the clinic.
- Helping the patient keep to a regular shift schedule.
- Packing personal comfort items and warm layers for cooler indoor temperatures.
- Managing timing around work, school or caregiving at home.
- Keeping referral and account paperwork together when needed.
- Noting questions to raise with the patient’s own renal team later.
These are practical support tasks, not medical decisions. Treatment plans remain the responsibility of the patient’s renal team.
A practical comparison for common situations
Different families need different pages depending on what is happening right now. Use this quick comparison if you are deciding where to go next.
- New referral and first attendance: read How referrals work, then Your first session and What to bring.
- Routine weekly attendance: read Comfort during sessions and Transport and parking.
- A change in work or school timing at home: start with Morning, afternoon and evening shifts, then review transport arrangements.
- Planning a holiday or time away: go to Visiting and holidays first.
- Questions about payment route: read Medical-aid and private patients.
- Questions about treatment, symptoms or changes in care: contact the patient’s own doctor or renal unit, not a general information page.
This section is meant to save time. Instead of reading every page, choose the one that matches the decision in front of you now.
Comfort, waiting and session-day planning
Session days usually run more smoothly when personal comfort and timing are considered before leaving home. Families often find it helpful to prepare the night before, especially for early starts. A light jersey, a book, headphones, a charged phone and any clinic paperwork can make the day easier. Keep plans flexible enough for normal traffic around Bedfordview and nearby parts of Johannesburg.
If someone is dropping off and collecting the patient, agree on the plan in advance rather than trying to sort it out on the road. If the patient is using a lift service, build in extra time for pick-up windows. Small delays do happen and a calm routine helps a lot. Where comfort is concerned each patient is different so ask the patient what actually helps, not only what seems useful.
For any question about what is suitable during treatment, follow the guidance given by the patient’s renal team and clinic staff on the day.
Referrals, accounts and when to contact us
Patients join the clinic by referral from their own doctor or renal unit. Medical-aid and private patients are welcome, and the exact account process depends on the referral pathway and funding arrangements. This section does not replace those discussions, but it can help families understand which page covers the admin side and which page covers the visit itself.
Use the contact page enquiry form if you need to ask about referrals, general attendance arrangements or non-urgent practical questions. Please do not use general enquiries for urgent medical concerns. Emergencies must go straight to the nearest emergency unit.
Families often carry a lot, and a clear routine helps. A few simple plans made early can make each visit feel more manageable for everyone.
What our Outpatient Dialysis customers say
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Questions we get asked
Can a family member arrange a patient’s place at the clinic directly?
New patients join by referral from their own doctor or renal unit. If you are helping with arrangements, start with the referrals pages and then send an enquiry through the contact page for general admin questions.
Where should we look if we need help with lifts and parking?
Go to the Transport and parking page for practical guidance on getting to the clinic, timing your trip and planning drop-off or collection around scheduled shifts.
Can this section answer medical questions about treatment?
No. This section gives general practical information for patients and families. The patient’s own renal team decides treatment, and emergencies should go to the nearest emergency unit.
Ask about a referral or a session time
Send a note through our contact form with your name, your referring doctor or renal unit and the shift you prefer, and the clinic team will contact you.
Open the contact form